


Wrapped in Nothing but a Bow

by Ngoc12thefangirl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bit of hurt and comfort, Breastplay, Dirty nerdy talk, Enemies to Lovers, Establishing Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Gingerose Holiday Exchange 2020, Gingerrose - Freeform, Glove Kink, NSFW, Praise Kink, Unprotected First Time Sex, a bit of spy games on Hux's end, a whole chapter for smut, and they even joke about it, bit of angst, biting kink, canonverse, cumming inside, food sharing with tea, gingerose holiday exchange secret spy 2020, huddle for warmth, implied StormPilot, lots of smut, minor stormpilot, oh no they're cute, secret and unexpected pregnancy in the epilogue, some holiday themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:33:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ngoc12thefangirl/pseuds/Ngoc12thefangirl
Summary: As Life Day approaches, Rose makes the most dangerous decision in her life, to meet her First Order spy. Little does Rose know that her Life Day rendezvous will lead her into the arms - and the bed - of the First Order spy!
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Rose Tico, Armitage Hux/Rose Tico
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36
Collections: Gingerose Holiday Exchange 2020: Secret Spy





	1. A Divining Rod for Trouble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Brit Hux-Tico (birchwoods01)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/birchwoods01/gifts).



> Thank you so much to EflMaidenofLight for beta-ing!  
> I would not have been able to post or finish this without your edits!
> 
> Thank you so much to the members on the GingerRose discord! I could not have written this fic without your continued kindness, support, and brainstorming!
> 
> To Brit Hux-Tico!  
> I did my best to satisfy as much of the trope jars as I could and I really hope that you enjoy this work! You are one of the GingerRose writers on this site and on the discord that have always inspired me to improve my writing! More chapters will be added tomorrow!

For as long as Rose could remember, her mother had always said that Rose divined trouble; that there was an innate force within her that drew her to chaos. Rose could not deny the validity of that statement. Whatever Rose encountered with her best intentions and curiosity, it ultimately resulted in close calls. 

Once, when Rose was just about as tall as her mother’s hip, her uncle Trac had shown her the family’s old Z-95 starfighter. It had belonged to her grandmother during the Rebellion against the Empire, and had surely seen better days, but resting on the runway of their hanger yard, it was the first and most magnificent fighter that Rose had ever seen in person. Although the orange paint had chipped away to orange rust, and the craft’s white nose was all banged up with dents, its twin engines and wingtip-mounted blaster cannons had endured the test of time, and sat gloriously upon the worn fighter. 

While the parents and uncle were distracted, discussing whether to repair the old fighter or sell it for parts, she and Paige had scampered up the ladder to peer into the cockpit. With its blackened dome window raised up, the two were mesmerized by the blinking lights and switches on the dashboard. Satisfied, Paige had been the first to descend down the ladder back to the ground while Rose had climbed into the cockpit. Overcome with the desire to see how the fighter could work, she had inadvertently turned the fighter on and it detonated a countdown to liftoff. 

In an instant, quicker than it took for Rose to laugh in glee, her mother had leapt up the ladder and pulled Rose out, her mother falling on her back out of the way of the fighter that jolted forward into the hanger. 

That had been the first Rose heard from her mother, “You are a divining rod for trouble, not smelt.” 

Living up to her mother’s expectations, Rose encountered trouble more times than she could count the fingers on her hand. 

When mining equipment broke down, Rose had always been first on the scene to investigate the malfunction, and more times than not had created more of a mess of the machine before she could figure out how to make it work as good as new, often better. When the First Order descended upon Hays Minor, Rose had been one of the first to act, utilising her mechanical skills to wreak as much havoc as she could on any machine that bore the First Order emblem, with Paige close behind her to fly her in and out of the fray. 

When she’d realized that the Raddeus was being tracked by the First Order, she had stolen a ship with Finn to infiltrate the First Order, despite knowing that they could very well be killed as soon as they came within docking space of the Supremacy. 

Even on her knees about to be executed, she had not been able to avoid getting herself into more trouble. When that bastard General Hux mocked her planet and her people, she’d bitten him, knowing that biting him would not save them, but she had wanted to leave her mark on him, for him to never forget her or the people she came from, her last kriff to him. On Crait, the moment she saw that Finn was heading towards the cannon of the First Order walker to sacrifice himself; she had crashed her ship into his, focused only on not letting the blaster get him. 

No matter the best laid plans Rose had, it seemed that she always picked the most dangerous option. 

After Crait, an encrypted message box had been spotted floating in between the outer rim and the central galaxy with a message that it should be delivered to the Resistance. No one had been able to decode the message, and Rey had been able to unlock the first level of security, but could not fully open the message; Finn had suggested Rose, knowing her penchant for tinkering. 

Lying in the medical wing as she recovered from her injuries on Crait, Leia had brought her the encrypted message. As she had tried to break the encryptions and the mechanical locks, Rose felt herself being rejuvenated. Unlocking the message box had been undeniably difficult, but Rose had enjoyed the challenge and the new ways that she had to think to open the message box. Whoever had constructed the box certainly enjoyed puzzles, Rose had thought then; someone who thought unconventionally, who connected strings between seemingly unrelated topics. 

The entire contraption was like someone had taken apart a subflight thruster and reconstructed it for an entirely new purpose. Some encryptions and locks were familiar to Rose, others required Rose to thrust herself into research for commands in different languages. After a month of recovery and tinkering, she had finally cracked the message box open. 

The message box had come from the First Order, a transmission for help. _“The First Order is going to fall, and with it, the Galaxy. Snoke is dead and his apprentice, the new Supreme Leader, is too blinded by his rage to rule. We must stop the First Order while there is still hope._ ” 

Included with the message were the details for a transmission channel and a blueprint of a Resurgent-Class Star Destroyer. Finn had confirmed the validity of the blueprint from his memory, but had not understood the value of knowing the blueprint apart from infiltration. There were no details on the specifications of the blaster cannons or the tracking technology. There was no other information like how fast the ship could travel before hyperspace or how many lightyears it could jump after hyperspace. 

The blueprint was, down to the barest, a map, but Rose appreciated the value it could bring to the Resistance. To know the blueprint was to know the battleground, and Rose’s brain raced with ideas for new sensors, new bafflers, new emergency protocols to attack and defend against the destroyers.

Just as the news had reached Leia and the other commanders, Rose had requested to be on the team that would communicate with the spy. Not only could Rose offer her expertise on decoding more of these encrypted messages, she could start immediately on planning the stealth and offense technology as soon as she received news from their new ally. Leia, not needing more to be convinced of Rose’s capabilities and zeal for the cause, had granted Rose the sole responsibility of being the handler for their First Order spy. Leia had told her that involving too many people in spy communications would bring too many voices and opinions that could compromise any mission that relied on the spy’s information. 

To Rose’s relief and disappointment, the transmission channel between her and the spy had no encryptions. After stiff greetings over audio call had been exchanged and a spy code phrase had been established, the First Order spy began sending files of information. 

Their transmissions usually consisted of the spy sending information on upcoming battle dates, strategies, manufacturing sites, and secret missions taken on by high commanding officers, with Rose always requesting for more. Once she had received the information, she would compose the reports to pass on to Leia who would share the intel with the other commanders in the Resistance. It was difficult for Rose to reconcile that the spy who had created the encrypted message box was the same spy who appeared to be devoid of all emotions and humour in their transmissions. 

Rose’s first image of the spy was a stormtrooper like Finn, who had become tired of the destruction and horror inflicted by the First Order on the Galaxy, desperately trying to right wrongs and bring hope in any way they could. Finn had later corrected Rose’s imagination. He’d said the spy was more likely an officer; storm troopers were, truthfully, cannon fodder for the First Order. Only an officer would have access to information like battle plans, blueprints, and maps. Knowing the spy was an officer; whenever she communicated with the spy, for some inexplicable reason, she could only picture General Hux. 

When she and Finn had infiltrated the First Order with DJ, she had averted her eyes away from everybody, trying not to draw attention to herself. Her only recollections had been the innumerable Stormtroopers: their First Order military standard combat boots and their gloved black hands, but not much else. The only officer that had captured both her and her attention had been General Hux. 

On her knees before him, hating him for who he was and for everything he stood for… seeing him up close, she had felt that she knew everything about him: he was a monster, who saw everyone as vermin below his feet, pigheaded enough to remind her of the destruction of her home planet and even to grip her face to make her look at him, to see the despair on her face. But she had refused and she had bitten him, wanting to wound him as badly as she could even when she was at his mercy. 

Every time she had spoken with the spy, she had always pictured Hux in his black uniform: the greatcoat with the First Order emblem on his sleeve, the wide sash around his narrow waist, his pale skin making his ginger hair more fiery. Everytime, she remembered the terrible taste of leather and blood on the tip of her tongue, burning her ire to sink her teeth deeper. 

Ever since the beginning, Rose had been careful to avoid any trouble or conflicts with the spy. The intel that the spy provided the First Order was a godsend that Rose wanted to preserve as carefully as she could. Despite being the new Engineering Corps commander, being in charge of a team of engineers and tasked with innumerable upgrades and innovations for the star fighters in the Resistance fleet, Rose had never felt so alone. 

After she had been promoted to Commander of the Engineering Corps, the perimeter around her had expanded; her comrades left her to her tinkering, thinking that if they could not assist her, then they would not bother her with any of their problems. Even when she had implored breaks together with her team, they were reprimanded by the other commanders or by their own colleagues for distracting Rose from her research. Even Finn was farther from her than he had ever been, always by Poe’s side. As sad as it was to admit, the only reprieve from her isolation was the spy. The spy was the only constant companion she had, yet she had to restrain herself from being too friendly. Albeit the spy was an ally, everybody was working to save the Galaxy from the First Order, and there was no time for making friends. 

Every time they spoke, Rose had held her tongue and questions, careful not to say or do anything that could jeopardize the fragile link between them. They would speak of only business, and Rose’s heart would be eased of her loneliness for a moment before it would simmer in agonizing longing. 

There was so much that Rose had wanted to say and share, but she did not dare to in order to avoid trouble. Perhaps she might say something that would remind him of his betrayal of the First Order. Or they would lose hope in the Resistance’s cause because she had said something stupid. What if’s and Maybe’s ran circles through her brain whenever she had wanted to ask the spy more about the starships, the blaster cannons; about how everything in their transmissions worked. 

Although she was their spy handler, Rose had felt no different than a channel of water being poured between a pitcher and a cup. 

* * *

After several months of communicating, trouble finally came to her when the First Order spy spoke to her outside of protocol. 

The transmission began, much like many of their other transmissions had gone before; Rose at her workbench alone in the repair hanger that also acted as the Engineering Corps base. The metal workbench was both a graveyard and a place of rebirth for old technology and engines from the Rebellion, waiting to be restored to life and duty once more. Stacks of her notes and manuals were stranded in islets among dried remnants of engine grease, dented metal housing containing new running cores that had once screamed against their new bodies, unsure of their new function, gated her in her own little world. 

Outside of the repair hanger, where her workbench was situated, the Resistance thrived like the waves of an ocean, never still and eager to rush to their next destination. Yet her stagnant table always remained fixed among the raucous; it anchored her to the Resistance base and among the ruins of durasteel bodies and blasters. 

Her datapad alerted her to an incoming transmission from the First Order spy; she was uncertain about the spy’s sleep cycle, but the transmissions always came late at 27:00 standard galactic time. From the datapad, a tiny beacon wailed out to her island of wreckage and resurrection. Excited for the routine transmission, Rose dashed out of her seat. Her work stool tipped backwards to the floor in her leap to grab her datapad as fast as she could. She flinched at the crash, but put it immediately out of mind. 

The moment the datapad came into her hand, she stopped to straighten her back and compose herself. She wanted to play it cool, to stay in control. She answered their transmission with her code phrase, a phrase that he had been amused with when she had proposed it on the spot in their first transmission. 

“It takes a spark…” 

“To rise from the ashes!” The spy replied with so much urgency in their voice that Rose had feared that their cover had been exposed, that they were on the run from stormtroopers and seeking an escape to the Resistance. 

Just as she was about to voice her concerns, the First Order spy interjected, penetrating through Rose’s contemplations. 

“You need to tell me if you have a second spy working for you in the First Order and who it is.” 

The spy’s voice had always been well modulated, almost soothing for Rose, whenever they had summarized the schematics and details that were sent over. While undeniably smooth, there had always been a clipped edge of roughness, a roughness that became more harsh as they spoke; the face of General Hux was conjured in Rose’s mind. 

“Hours ago, Resistance fighters were reported at the moons of Bikarr. However, they had gone undetected by First Order energy radars until they launched a surprise attack. Due to the unpreparedness of the situation, a squadron of TIE fighters were neutralized while the Resistance evaded capture. This is an impossibility.” the spy spat on the word ‘impossibility’. 

“I don’t understand the problem. It sounds like you think we shouldn’t have even been able to escape…” 

“Exactly that,” the First Order spy confirmed, “Nothing in this galaxy should be able to defeat First Order tracking technology, save for outright destroying it. Even its own creator would call it flawless. And yet, your fighters evaded it, enough to be able to launch a surprise attack. I haven’t even sent you the information on the energy radar programs. Even if I did, there is no way that the Resistance could have created something to counter it in sufficient time, unless someone in the First Order is handing over actual technology for your disposal!” 

“You’re overestimating your own tech,” Rose retorted, “Nothing in this galaxy is invincible, and that goes for your tech. The tech is new but the principles that your thrusters and energy converters operate on are the same principles from centuries. Just because we have old tech doesn’t mean that we’re limited by it. An old E-532 quantum bypass chip can be fitted with a 6-pronged transformer and grounding capacitor to bypass the ionic current of a new AAL-1971 thruster.” 

There was a pause before the spy spoke. She could hear the spy walking themselves through their thoughts out loud, “The quantum bypass chip has its ions delayed by the ground capacitor and the excess ions are heated in the transformer… before it accelerates through the prongs to the PCB of the thruster… It concurrently delays and accelerates the increase of ions while stabilizing the energy combustion discharge rate… It lowers the energy readings.” 

“By a few energy levels. But a few extra bafflers also help.” 

She had only wanted to prove the First Order spy wrong of what they thought of the Resistance, that despite their lack of financial patrons, they were still resourceful. Surely, Rose had not crossed a line by hinting at how the new baffler worked. Although she had not explicitly explained to the spy the specifics, reduction of the rate at which the energy flowed from the thruster was a significant design component to the new baffler that Leia had commissioned from her. 

Unlike her team who had initially struggled with retrofitting their old quantum bypass chips to the new thrusters, even understanding how she wanted to integrate the old tech with the new, within minutes, the FIrst Order spy had quickly worked out the logic and the first step of integrating the old 12 gate designs of the chip to the new 18 gate gate ports of the new thrusters. 

Listening to the spy’s vocal musings, she realized that they were not just collecting information and passing it on to the Resistance. The spy knew more than Rose had thought. She recalled their praise for First Order tech and its capabilities. At first, she had thought it was the spy’s pride for the First Order that had them boasting.

However, after the spy demonstrated their understanding of stealth mechanics, Rose knew that they weren’t a mere tech enthusiast who created encrypted messages on the sly. This was a formidable individual who could outsmart them all, who did more than just deploy starfighters. Rose knew then that she had found trouble and she would need to keep this new trouble at bay. 

“You would have been a most impressive asset to the First Order,” the spy praised her; she could hear the genuine astonishment in their voice. “The Resistance has certainly become a formidable force, which I believe is attributed to your cleverness.” 

It was not rare for Rose to be thanked or complimented for her technical abilities, but it felt different to hear it from the spy, to know that they were not just thanking her for accomplishing something that benefited their needs. Her suspicions of the spy were not dispelled by their pretty words, but she allowed herself to appreciate the praise.

She returned the friendly sentiments, “You’re pretty good too. It took me a while to figure out your message box! I had never seen anything like it before! There were times that I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to decrypt it!” 

There was a pause on the other side of the transmission before the spy asked incredulously, “Just you… _You_ alone had decrypted the message box? That’s another impossibility. I can’t imagine anyone singlehandedly decoding it. And it took you how long?” 

“A month.” 

The spy repeated her response, “Only a month… That’s as long as it took me to create it…” 

“But you designed it by yourself too, right? If one person created a puzzle, it should also take one person to solve it.” 

“If they happened to be the same person… That was a heavily encrypted message box, only a team of technical specialists could have solved it in that short amount of time. Even the Engineering division of the First Order would have struggled with it. Tell me, what sort of formal training have you had?” 

“Nothing official. I just like knowing how things work. I’ll read a lot in my free time and I’ll tinker around and try new things.” 

The spy repeated their earlier thought, “It really is unfortunate that the First Order had not found you before the Resistance had. The War would have likely been won sooner if you and I had been working together from the start.” 

“I think my talents are better used with the Resistance. In case you might have forgotten, but we are currently working together on bringing down the First Order. So let’s work hard to end this War as you say.” 

“Of course. I should have expected you to correct me.” The spy’s voice carried humour in the same way that old friends might poke fun at each other; good cheer with a dash of mockery. 

* * *

The spy’s messages did not deter from its usual frequency of once every seventy two standard galactic hours, however the duration of the transmission had gone from several minutes to several hours. Freed from her earlier reservations, Rose did not hold back her inquiries and comments about the intel that the spy passed on to her. Likewise, the spy was far more engaging in discussion with Rose than earlier when they had only passed on First Order intel sparingly. 

Although Rose was confident in the spy’s technical prowess, much like they were confident in hers, they both tested and probed each other’s engineering knowledge. There was never any malicious intent to their discussions, certainly not on Rose’s part, but she found that the more she spoke with the spy, the more she learned. Unlike her own rough and shaky education, she found that the spy’s knowledge was like hardened smelt; ductile, robust, and polished so fine that no error or fault could be detected. 

Their projects were still secrets to each other, but they shared the results of their experiments. It was fun to speculate on the purposes of the other’s research. There were no winners or losers, no confirmation or denial, in their banter. On one occasion, they spent two hours listing twenty different uses for an ion reducer and rating each’s feasibility. 

Rose had to admit then that the spy had come out on top when they brought up using an ion reducer as an unsteady control node for hyperatomic lasers in blaster cannons, that the ion reducer would also significantly reduce the wear on the magnetic ferrous nozzles of the cannons. 

At the end of that particular call, Rose had let it slip that she looked forward to their conversations.

“Whenever I talk about tech, everybody takes it as gospel. They don’t question me about what I’m doing or bounce ideas off of me. In fact, some of them actually avoid me because they don’t know how to help me or they don’t want to talk to me. I’m glad to have someone like you to talk to. You don’t undermine me or underestimate me.” 

“I would be a fool to underestimate you, knowing what you know. I’m in a very similar position as you where I am… and I too am glad for your opinions.” 

* * *

Often, the spy had lamented that they had not started the war on the same side. 

“Among my regrets, one is that you and I had not met sooner as comrades.” 

“We are comrades,” Rose corrected. 

“I am talking about the forbidden possibility, you know the one.” 

“And we both know why it’s forbidden.” 

The forbidden possibility was one of their inside jokes, a joke that the spy loved to just hover around. At times, Rose suspected that it was more than just a joke for the spy: that the spy was subtly trying to convince Rose to join the First Order with them. Since the day Rose learned that the spy had been withholding information, Rose never dropped her guard.

Although she was still required to trust him to a certain degree, she could never forget that the spy had their own motives and agenda. She had some theories about the spy, that perhaps they were trying to bring down Kylo Ren by using the Resistance, or perhaps they were following the plans of the Supreme Leader to gain the trust of the Resistance and lead them to their downfall, or perhaps they wanted to be the Supreme Leader themselves… 

Trusting the spy and being on friendlier terms with them were not mutually exclusive. 

“Doesn’t staging a coup sound fun?” the spy suggested. It was difficult to tell if the spy was actually joking or being nonchalantly serious. She could hear the _whirr_ of a saw from their end of the transmission. It appeared that they too were in a lab working while conversing. 

“What’s more fun is if I can figure out how to successfully weld the plumb wiring of a motivator to the flux capacitor without damaging the navigator,” Rose redirected the conversation. She positioned the protective goggles over her eyes and sparked the blowtorch to life, attempting to weld the wiring of the motivator to the flux capacitor of the old Z-95 engine thruster in front of her. 

“You’re changing the subject. I would suggest spot welding?” 

“The residue leaks into the vents of the motivator’s housing. That’s the dilemma, the motivator’s wires need to be welded to the capacitor to work, but the metals used in the motivators have a significantly lower melting point than spot welding metals.” 

“Spot welding with an alloy that’s been treated with bipolium carbide. The carbide is closer to the plumb wire’s melting point but is more brittle. It would be a suitable interface to prevent leakage into the navigator.” 

“Unfortunately we do not have the resources to access bipolium carbide. We need another solution.” 

“There’s no other way.” 

Rose snorted, “You have everything you need, which is great. But there are times you have to be creative with what you have. Nothing is ever handed to us on a plate. To survive, we need to tinker and be able to create something new.” 

“How useful would you be to the Resistance if you couldn’t create something new for them?” The question sounded cold and callous, but the tone had come off as soft and concerned. 

“I… I-I would…”

Rose could not formulate a satisfactory answer as her heart leapt into her throat. She shut off her blow torch and put it on her workbench. 

Did the spy worry if their usefulness would eventually wear off? Of all her suspicions, she never thought _that_ would be why the spy would withhold information, but it made sense. It was their contingency plan. They thought that if they simply handed over everything they knew to the Resistance, the Resistance would take in intel and abandon them to the blasters of the First Order. 

They weren’t holding their cards to their chest to scheme, it was their shield, a paper thin shield over their heart. Suddenly, she realized how scared the spy must be: stuck between a terrible force that would surely kill them for their treachery if caught and a team that they could not trust. At least Rose was among friends, people she trusted to have her back just like she had theirs. 

Rose found her resolve, “I would still be useful! If I couldn’t create something new then I could still fix what we have! I can still be of use to the Resistance and you can too! You and I are comrades on the same side now, you are not alone.” 

There was total silence in her lab and on the other side of the transmission. Rose was momentarily worried that she had scared off the spy. 

In a quiet voice, so uncharacteristically soft for the spy, they added, “Neither are you.” 

* * *

After that, their conversations weren’t limited to espionage and tech. 

During Rose’s sleep cycles, when she should have been resting; she stayed up in her bed as late as she could with the spy as they shared stories with each other. Her bed was a pile of blankets in a corner of her lab, hidden behind her work bench from any intruders who entered through the hangar doorway; she called it a pile of blankets when it was more like an old sleeping bag with its wiry fiberglass bedding flattened and beaten out of it, to the point that it offered little protection from the ground. Her blanket was a stiff grass-green plastic tarp that was rough and noisy to sleep in, but offered sufficient shelter from the cold in the hangar. 

And the barracks were as crowded as could be. 

Although she could have joined her team, space was in high demand, and crowding did not help anyone get to sleep. She wasn’t the only one who slept outside either; a number of other commanders and new recruits chose to sleep under starfighters and in the cockpits. 

Tucked under her tarp, she would talk with the spy until sleep eventually took over and she had to end the transmission. When they talked about their past, they never named people they knew or the planets they’ve been to; it was an unmentioned rule for them to paint as vivid a picture as possible without knowing the colours. 

Although the spy did not share with her their name or even their gender, they shared with Rose tales of a despondent childhood with no mother and a hateful father. The spy had once lived on a planet before they were taken away on a large ship, and then their entire world became only space and stars. They never saw sunlight again, all the lights and air came from artificial machines. 

For a long time, they thought that they’d be a part of the same artificial machine, the First Order’s war machine, destined to die within it. But they still dreamed of more, of being more, and of saving the Galaxy from the chaos that the fall of the Empire had instigated, and the disorder that the rise of the new Republic had brought. They had dared to think that Starkiller would have ended all the chaos and disorder, even at the terrible cost of the Hosnian system. Rose shuddered every time the spy mentioned Starkiller. She remembered the tiny twinkles of red light in the skies, like red dwarves. She could not imagine how terrible it must have been for those poor people to see the laser come blasting on them and know that nothing could be done to save themselves. 

With the new Supreme Leader, their dream of a Galaxy united by peace became seemingly impossible. The spy had foreseen that the only logical step to save the Galaxy was to destroy the First Order. 

Throughout their shared transmissions, Rose had never wanted to hold another person so badly. As the spy recounted their life to her, they could not hide in their voice that their composure was becoming undone, quivering at the seams. She felt guilty to be sharing her childhood after hearing what the spy went through, but the spy had always insisted for her to not pity them. 

“Never mind about me. What about you?” at times when the spy felt like they had shared too much for too long. 

They also wanted to know her and the life she had before the war. 

After weeks of telling the spy stories about Paige, her parents, and her family, never naming them, Rose ultimately decided to tell the spy of the destruction of her planet at the hands of the First Order. How her parents had sent her and her sister away off planet as refugees to seek out the Resistance to bring home help. 

She didn’t stop fighting just because her home was gone, she decided to keep fighting to protect and to save other worlds from the same fate. 

“Where did you come from?” the spy asked. 

She was about to tell the spy that she came from Hays Minor, but without warning, the memory of Hux holding her pendant in his greedy gloved hands blindsided her mind. She could still see his viscous smile, his eyes darkening with interest at her fury as he remembered the Otomak system and likely the atrocities that he and his army inflicted on her people. 

She had to contain her fury, conjured up like a ghost from memory, and remind herself that Hux was not here. That on the other side of the transmission was her comrade and friend. 

“Did the First Order destroy other worlds?” she asked, remembering that she could not tell the spy anything to betray her identity. 

She assumed that the spy was experiencing their own conflict at having been a part of such cruelty, that perhaps they personally might have had a hand in destroying her world. 

“Yes. Many others.” 

His tone said that Hays Minor had been one of many, unimportant except for the ore in the center of the planet to build their ships and weapons and for the children stolen to become their soldiers. 

“I’m sorry. If you and I had met sooner, maybe… maybe it could have changed,” the spy offered up to her. 

Their apology wasn’t the first apology she had heard, and she doubted that it would be the last. However, it was the first apology that brought tears to her eyes. Someone that had once considered her an enemy, who had once vowed to destroy her and everything she stood for, was now apologising to her. The spy had always expressed their regrets that she and they had not met sooner, that they could have very well could have ended the war ages ago in their combined efforts. They’d even joked about taking over the First Order and ruling the Galaxy with her, but this was the first time that the spy wished they could have changed something in her past for the better. 

It was an unselfish wish, one that Rose couldn’t remember anybody else ever wanting for her. Despite the separation of warring sides and physical distance, she had come to view the spy as someone she wanted to protect and safeguard; they had become a source of safety and comfort to her. 

When Paige had died, a part of her had died too. She thought that there would always be an empty place inside of her chest and that she would never feel complete again. But with the spy… They were no replacement for Paige, but she felt fulfilled in a different way. Where Paige was the other half of her, the spy was the shadow she cast; a new part of her that wasn’t her. 

And that was the moment that Rose realised that she was in love with the spy. Or perhaps she had already been in love when she had first learned that the spy detested the bitterness of caf but preferred the bitterness of tarine tea. Or perhaps it had happened earlier when they had shown her how a baffler could actually amplify energy readings when its frequency was tuned for higher values. 

But whenever it had happened, Rose had fallen for the First Order spy; a person she felt like she knew everything about except for who they actually were. Her heart hurt that there was a chance she might never find out their name. 

Once the realisation subsided, horror quickly took its place. She should have kept her distance from the very beginning; should have remained professional despite her loneliness. Without saying goodnight, she ended the transmission. 

The spy did not call back about the sudden disconnection, and Rose was half relieved and half indignant about it. She warred within herself at that. There was no room for her to love another during the war, especially one that still wore the emblem of the enemy. 

The feelings of camaraderie seemed to weigh so little when she remembered that they were still working for the First Order, even though they were a traitor. They still remained with the ranks of the enemy, and carried out their duties to work to destroy the Resistance. 

For ages, Rose had deluded herself into a false friendship with the spy, for she was so desperate for connection in any way, and she had encouraged it with no thought for the implications. She was certain that she was marching on a slippery slope now, one that the spy could easily guide her on whichever path they wanted. 

The mistrust that Rose had tried put to rest before now returned in full force. Panic seized her throat and chest. 

What would Leia think if she found out? A small voice asked about Finn: had Finn not been a part of the First Order and changed to be good? But Finn had left the First Order behind for a new life and to help the Resistance. The spy stayed, still a part of the machine they had told her that they were now uncertain of. 

Crying bitter tears to sleep, Rose locked away her heart; for she was sure that nothing good could come out of loving the spy.


	2. Resistance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Rose's efforts to distance herself further from the spy, it's ultimately fruitless when she's contending with Leia, the Force, and the spy's magnetic charm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Brit Hux-Tico
> 
> Thank you so much to EflMaidenofLight for beta-ing!  
> I would not have been able to post or finish this without your edits!
> 
> Thank you so much to the members on the GingerRose discord! I could not have written this fic without your continued kindness, support, and brainstorming!

Soon, the season of Life Day was upon the Galaxy. 

Before the debriefing with Rey and the other commanders had concluded, Leia had announced plans to prepare for shore leave during the month of Life Day. Leave was to be taken in waves so that despite the absence of certain members, they could still protect the base and proceed with their missions and assignments. Rose had expected Chewie to take a leave of absence in order to take part in Life Day celebrations, but she had been surprised at Leia’s encouragement for everybody else to celebrate with Chewie. 

Rey voiced the same concerns that Rose thought but did not say.

“Leia, we’re in the middle of a war. I don’t think we can take a holiday right now. The First Order will destroy us if they see that we’re defenseless.” 

Leia, resolute as ever in whatever decision she made, betrayed none of her emotions. She wore a face of indifference, yet her eyes were soft and gentle. Although her words often carried such seriousness and were quick to cut, her tone was usually tender. Like a mother teaching her child between right and wrong, should have done and could have done. 

“Yes, we’re still in the middle of a war, but we’re still living our lives. The people who are fighting deserve this, their lives cannot be only fighting and dying. They have family, friends, and another life waiting for them, waiting for this war to be over. I want them to remember what they’re fighting to protect, what the First Order is threatening.” She smiled, a very tender smile that reminded Rose of the way Paige used to smile, the small corners of her lips rose as her eyes closed midway. “It is a time for us to remember those we have lost, while we are with those who are still living and who will bring new life to our families.” 

The answer did not seem to satisfy Rey, who did not mirror Leia’s smile. Rey’s back grew straighter. 

“What if we have no family waiting for us?” Rey asked. 

Everybody could hear the bitterness in her question. Leia approached Rey, reaching out for Rey’s hand which she gave to Leia without hesitation. 

She gripped her hand in hers and assured Rey, “Our families are not limited to those that we share blood with, and it necessarily doesn’t have to be someone who raised you. Our families are our friends and our companions, those who we are fighting to protect. Those we are protecting, and those who are protecting us.” 

Poe, seeming to want to uphold Leia’s sentiment of family, came around the table and gripped Rey’s shoulder. “We’re your family, Rey.” 

Rose too came to Rey’s side. “If anyone tries to hurt you, they’ll have to go through us!” 

In a matter of seconds, everybody came to Rey’s side and assured her that she was not alone, that they were all in this war together. However, Rose noticed that Rey’s smile never reached her eyes. 

* * *

After the meeting concluded, Rose headed to the hangars to check in on her team’s project progress. Although she enjoyed interacting with her team, she never stayed longer than what was necessary. When her presence was known in the hangars, all work seemed to halt and everybody would stand at attention for her to come over and inspect their progress. Simple questions of “Why” and “Why not” came off as challenges to her team when it was that she was genuinely curious about their design decisions. 

Even after her inspection was done, they trailed after her to the next project and listened closely to her assessment. Only when she exited the hangar did the air of tension dissipate.

The hangar next door was open to all, but everybody unofficially called it Rose’s. Few people entered without her, even to borrow tools, so Rose was momentarily taken aback when she saw that the door that had been closed before was left ajar. She suffered a jolt of fright when she saw Leia in the hangar, her back to Rose as she inspected Rose’s workbench. 

Rose ran quickly to Leia’s side, “General Leia! Is something the matter? What brings you in here?” She saluted Leia, her back straight and her hand roofed over her gaze. 

Leia chimed a tinkling laugh. “At ease, Rose. This isn’t a debriefing that requires such formality.” 

It was always hard to not be formal around Leia. Even when she had been promoted to Commander, Rose still felt like the mousy technician behind the scenes. Leia commanded such respect as a General, and her bearings made Rose think that she was around royalty. Of course, Rose pointed out to herself, Leia had been raised as a princess before she started the first Rebellion against the Empire. 

“Oh! Of course! But what can I do for you, General? The bafflers you ordered are being built as we speak and they’re to be tested tomorrow before being installed in our X-wings! And-” 

She closed her mouth upon seeing Leia raise her hand from her side to about chest level, a simple signal that she wanted to speak. 

“Sit with me.” 

The two of them sat on cargo boxes, the nose of an X-wing looming over their heads. She helped Leia to sit down before she took her own seat as the woman gripped her cane by her knee. 

There were times Rose forgot that Leia was an old woman, at an age where she should have enjoyed the golden years of her life instead of flying around on star destroyers. But it seemed out of place for Leia to sit and be docile. She did not seem herself unless she was leading the charge and holding a blaster to fight alongside the rest of them. 

Rose admired the authority that Leia possessed, the confidence in everything she did; jokingly she wondered if part of that commanding aura was the result of Leia using the Force to draw everyone’s attention. Sometimes Leia’s politician side came out, still friendly, but seemingly more dangerous, like she knew something no one else did. 

Just like now, General Leia had become Senator Leia before her very eyes. 

“How are things with the spy, Rose?” 

“Good! As usual! Everything is good!” Rose’s voice came out higher than she expected, her self control lapsing for a second from panic. 

Since Leia had appointed Roes as the spy handler, she had never asked Rose about the spy. Just as long as Rose kept supplying her with reports, there was never any questioning. Unless Leia suspected or knew something that Rose was not aware of. 

Did she know of Rose’s heart? Or the late night transmissions? Since the night of Rose’s revelation for her feelings for the spy, she had slowly worked on distancing herself. 

Their chatter and company were still too addictive for Rose to cut out completely; the only compromise that Rose could make for herself was to not ask more about the spy, to keep the conversation focused only on tech and the intel that the spy passed on. There was no denying that she missed the late night conversations in her bed as they traded stories, but things like that complicated her emotions. She didn’t want to fall deeper into trouble than she already had. 

“I’m glad to hear that, Rose. I suspected that you were handling it well, but I wanted to confirm with you. I noticed that you have been looking refreshed these last few weeks.” 

“You mean, well rested?” Rose joked in response. 

Although she no longer had the late night transmissions with the spy and went to rest earlier, she didn’t feel rejuvenated the next day. Her mind was totally restless, in utter turmoil and grief over the emotional killing of her crush; her body remained motionless during her rest cycle but Rose felt that lying down quietly and not moving could hardly count for sleep. 

Leia laughed in return, “Is that your secret? I had started thinking that you had become distracted by something. Or someone, perhaps?” 

The heavy weight in her stomach made Rose’s legs buckle. Was Leia toying with her, trying to lead her to admit something?

“No! I don’t have time for that sort of stuff! No one here is my type!” 

“I’m only teasing you, Rose. I came here because I wanted to know if you planned to be taking a leave of absence for Life Day.” 

Rose shook her head, “The people here are my friends and family now. I’m going to be staying on base and keep working. I can’t rest until-” 

Leia’s politician face dropped to one of concern, silencing Rose. Senator Organa had exited the hangar and called back to General Leia. But Rose quickly realized that it wasn’t General Leia in front of her, it was simply Leia. Another woman like Rose who had lost her planet and family, who now fought for others, and who had empathized with her and Paige after news of Hays Minor had reached them.

“Rose, do you know why I asked you to be the spy’s handler?” 

“Because I opened the message box… and I work hard, I always work hard.” 

“There’s no denying that, but it’s not the first reason why I asked you. I asked you because you’re kind.” 

Rose had not been prepared for that answer. 

Leia continued, “The First Order destroyed your home, your people, and your planet. Instead of seeking revenge through the Resistance, you decided to fight for other worlds, to spare them the fate of yours. You wanted to protect those who needed it, because you cared. Not everybody could have worked with the spy, to cooperate with them without animosity. So many of us who have been wronged by the First Order can still be easily swayed by our anger. You’ve acted with compassion, towards someone who has tried to destroy us before. I hope that you remain compassionate when the spy joins us.” 

“General, do you think that the spy is…” Rose was unsure whether to finish her question.

“If the spy is my son?” Leia’s smile was small but it felt sad. 

“Yes.” Rose confirmed, “Rey says that Ben and Kylo Ren are two different people. Perhaps he thinks the same way and he wants us to stop the side of him that’s Kylo Ren?” 

It would explain Leia’s concern for Rose to be kind towards the spy. If the spy was indeed her son, Rose could be useful in integrating him into the Resistance, much like Poe had helped Finn.

But Leia shook her head, “No, the spy isn’t Ben. Even now, I can feel his anger through the Force.” Leia closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. Even though they were enemies, Leia still loved her son and missed him. “I can guarantee you, Rose, that we’re going to have a lot of people like Finn join us. They will all have their past and it will be difficult for people to forgive them. People look up to you and they’ll be looking to you on how to let go of their fears and their hatred.” 

“I’m not as great as you think, General. It’s true… I don’t… I don’t hate the spy, but it’s hard not to think of what they did and what they’re probably doing now. I remember Finn telling me how he grew up without a mother, just generals and old men indoctrinating him into doing evil things. I think of the spy the same way, forced to fight by men like Snoke and Hux, and I feel more sorry for them. I want to pull them out of there and protect them and tell them that there are other ways to live and to help.” Rose realized that she was blabbering “That sounds strange, doesn’t it? That I want to protect my enemy.” 

Leia rested her hand on top of Rose’s. “But that’s exactly what makes you kind. Your compassion doesn’t discriminate. It’s a very admirable trait.” 

She let go of Rose’s hand and leaned forward on her cane to get up, Rose escorting her to the door of the hangar, feeling both embarrassed and proud at Leia’s opinion of her. 

Leia reached into her dress pocket and extracted a small wrapped box with iridescent light blue packaging and a thin red ribbon of plastic string circled four sides of the box and bloomed into a festive bow. The festive bow shimmered under the light of the hangar as they walked. 

Once they reached the door to the hangar, Leia turned to Rose with the box in her hand. She held it out to Rose, “A small gift, for my appreciation and for Life Day.” 

Rose accepted the gift and pulled at a loose end of the bow. When it came undone, Rose carefully tried to open the light blue packaging. 

“What is it?” Rose asked. 

“Fermented Purya tea leaves. It’s not like the caf that we have but it’s a stimulant to help you stay awake. I do have to warn you, the taste is very similar to bitter Tarine tea.” 

Rose’s hand froze over the top of the box, mind immediately jumping to conclusions but it must have been just some big coincidence. 

Rose never drank bitter Tarine tea. Yet why would Leia want to get it for her. Although the spy had mentioned that they enjoyed bitter Tarine tea, she had not included that tidbit of information in the reports that she submitted to Leia. Although Rose tried to reassure herself that it must have been some big coincidence, the timing was too perfect to have been just happenstance. 

“I thought you might like something new to try.” Leia smiled, patting the side of Rose’s arm. “When you see a reason to take a leave of absence, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m sure we can spare an X-wing for a couple of days for you.” 

She exited through the doorway and turned on her heel to wave goodbye to Rose, who still stood dumbfounded in her boots. The pneumatic doors closed with a  _ whoosh. _

Rose immediately opened the doors again to tell Leia that she wouldn’t hesitate, but it was okay and she would not be taking a leave of absence. When she opened the door, Leia was already strolling away, several yards away out of earshot. 

* * *

Rose tried to distract herself with work, but every few seconds her gaze would go to the small present next to her datapad. 

The most prominent idea in her head was to give the gift to the spy, who she knew would love it. However, meeting the spy in person was the last thing she should even think of! 

Pros and cons waged war in her mind, whether or not to see the spy in person for such a trivial reason as giving them a gift. The whole point of them not naming names was to not know the other’s identity; to protect each other! She considered the possibility that perhaps meeting them would lead to something fruitful like she could convince them to leave the First Order and come back with her to the Resistance. If the spy was with the Resistance, there would be nothing wrong with them getting closer and being more than friends - perhaps. But there was another plausible outcome that, upon seeing her, the spy would reject her, see her only as a friend like FInn had. The spy might see her poor grease covered clothes and be turned off the idea entirely of working with her. 

As expected, her datapad called out to her at 27:00. Rose still felt the same excitement like she always had, but it was now accompanied by a new feeling of apprehension and indecisiveness. 

The workbench suddenly appeared like the icy jagged planes of Hoth, metal and wreckage were warnings to stay away from her datapad lest she be cut. Nevertheless, a world she would brave for duty. The datapad continued calling for help until she had it in her hands and responded to the call. 

She was silent on the datapad while she composed herself, taking a deep breath before she spoke her code phrase, “It takes a spark…” 

“To rise from the ashes.” the spy finished. Their voice was hushed, subdued. 

Although Rose had not voiced her intentions to the spy to put distance between them, she knew things were not the same. In domino effect, the spy seemed to know that something was different as well and did not push the matter on times when she ended the transmission too early or gave terse replies. 

The spy informed her how many of the older officers, officers who had served in the Empire, were taking a leave of absence for Life Day. 

“All the officers who had once served the Empire weren’t ready to give up their connections to the past and still fervently hold onto their families to this day. However, the number of active stormtroopers have increased by 25% this year alone and many of the younger First Order officers, even those in technical roles, have received combat and leadership training to personally lead stormtrooper squads should the need arise. In short, despite the minute reduction of military leadership for a period of seven standard galactic days, the First Order’s defenses are hardly compromised.” 

After several moments of processing what the spy had told her, Rose succinctly summarized what she understood, “It sounds like you’re trying to tell me that even on holiday, there’s no point in attacking the First Order.” 

“... That is correct.” 

“For a group of ex-Imperialists who are trying to take over the Galaxy, it’s oddly endearing that they still want to go home to be with their families.” 

The thought of a group of old First Order officers, carrying suitcases and waiting together at a terminal for a ship to take them home appeared so absurd that, despite being enemies, Rose had to smile. 

“You always find everything endearing, even in your own enemies. That itself is endearing to me.” 

The spy had called Rose many things: clever, resourceful, innovative… but never endearing. They were teasing her, like they always did when they were not talking espionage. She refused to let the spy have the last word!

Trying to contain her giggles, Rose returned the compliment, “You’re endearing because you think that I’m endearing for thinking that the First Order is endearing.” 

“I concur.” then a stifled snort of laughter, that the spy tried to disguise as a coughing fit. The spy added, “You become exceptionally more endearing for thinking that I am endearing for saying that you are endearing for thinking that your enemies are endearing.” 

Cheeks sore from smiling so much, Rose had to concede defeat at their banter, “Now the meaning of endearing is lost on me! We’re going in circles like saps!” 

For the first time, she heard the spy laugh, coarse and spontaneous; unrestrained mirth. They sputtered to keep it in and Rose imagined a stiff First Order officer desperately trying to keep their composure through clenched teeth and twisted lips. 

The laugh was infectious and caught up with Rose who, in feeling everything in excess, laughed loud and hard enough that her stomach hurt. Upon hearing her, the spy reluctantly joined in. 

She could not remember the last time, since the First Order had stormed into her life, she had felt so light and actually happy. She craved more of this happiness, more of reasons to laugh. Her desire to see the spy grew stronger, not just to satisfy her curiosity of their identity or give them the present; but to see their smile and see them laugh. She felt like she had to ask, it was now or never. But self-preservation commanded Rose to just enjoy the moment, to not seek out more. But the more they laughed together over the transmission, the more confident that Rose became and her resistance slowly dwindled. 

Caught up in her high spirits, Rose asked the spy, “Can we meet for Life Day?” 

The question shocked the both of them, silencing them in an instant. Rose, incredulous that she had asked, shut her mouth up with her hands flying up to seal her lips. Too late. 

She tried to backtrack her question, but the spy spoke first. 

“That would be a dangerous move, with consequences you and I cannot fathom. Even if we were to keep our identities secret from the Resistance and the First Order, how can our interactions be explained? At least one of us would get a blaster to the chest.” 

“You’re right.” Rose mumbled, embarrassed at asking, “It’s a stupid idea, seeing each other.”

“It’s not.” the spy hastily stated. 

“What?” 

The spy repeated themselves, “What you just said, it’s… it’s not a stupid idea. if planned carefully, it can be executed well.” 

Much to her shock and surprise, the spy was not rejecting her or the offer. They wanted to see her too. 

“I’ll think of something,” they promised her. “End transmission.”

* * *

All in quick succession after their transmission ended, Rose immediately sent a transmission to Leia, requesting several days of leave. Although she was unsure of when or where she would go for Life Day, she would immediately inform her when her plans became more finalized.

In response, Leia had sent back a single phrase of “Okay.” 

Rose couldn’t believe herself. She was actually going to go through with this! She was actually going to meet the spy!

All of Rose’s good senses told her to decline, to forget about the meeting, to contact Leia and tell her that she changed her mind. Where had this resolution been hours earlier? But through some divine intervention, Leia’s voice rang through her head, “Try something new.” 

All Rose wanted to do was see the spy to give them the tea. 

She speculated that perhaps Leia had used the Force to play matchmaker. What gain would come from Leia playing matchmaker? But the accusation seemed so outlandish that Rose immediately shoved it out of her head. Rose stayed up through her rest cycle, all attention on her datapad, awaiting for the spy’s call. 

* * *

Around 05:00 standard galactic time, the spy called. 

At the first beep, Rose answered the call, not even trying to compose herself, “It takes a spark!” 

“To rise from the ashes!” It sounded like the spy was in a rush to speak as well, forgetting volume control and breathing heavily on the other side of the phone like they had been running all over the space. 

“Are you okay?” Rose asked in a loud harsh whisper. 

Had the spy been caught trying to take a leave of absence?  _ That’s it _ , Rose thought to herself. She had doomed the entire spy mission because of a Life Day date. The blame was all on her, she accused herself. 

“I believe so.” the spy replied, “I can make arrangements to meet you at one of these three space stations. All of these are out of New Republic jurisdictions and the First Order has visited before on official business. It will not be out of the ordinary if they should see a First Order command shuttle in their docks.” 

Her datapad dinged when it received the spy’s attachments. Two of the space stations that the spy had sent were far out in the outer rims in systems she did not recognize. However, she did recognize the third, in the Cantonica system. 

The Calmorro Space Station was unlike the city Canto Bight; refugee aliens from all over came to seek work, oftentimes they became the indentured servants of arms dealers and high profile warlords on their way to Canto Bight. Despite the criminal affiliation and lawless world, they had loyalty to no one. It made the space station a valuable place for all looking for safety and a hiding place, as well as an ideal meeting place for enemies alike. 

“I can meet you at Calmorro station tomorrow at 27:00 standard Galactic time.” Rose promised the spy. “I’ll be wearing a black hood and sitting in front of a docked X-wing. I want you to come and find me.” 

“I will be wearing a black First Order uniform with a cap. I’ll find you first.” 

“That’s quite descriptive,” Rose teased, “How can I tell that it’s you and not some other First Order officer?” 

“I’ll say the code phrase, you will not mistake anyone else.” 

“We’re going to meet anyway, what about you tell me your hair colour, if you have any? I have black hair.” 

“... My hair is red, some call it ginger.” the spy supplied to her. 

The image of a certain someone came to mind and she voiced, “Like General Hux?” 

There was a pause from the spy before they confirmed, “Yes, like General Hux. I will end the transmission now and see you tomorrow.” 


End file.
